Velocipede-wheel



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

BG. LATTA.

VELOGIPBDE WHEEL. No. 382,885. Patented-May l5, 1888.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- (No Model.)

E. G. LATT A.

VBLOGIPBDB WHEEL.

No.382,885. Patented May-'15, 188B.

y if@ jZorn/eg/S.

N. PETERS, Pbollrlilwgnphlr, Wuhlngton. D. C.

Nrrnn STATES maar FFlCEG Y EMMIT G. LATTA, OF FRIENDSHIP, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR IO THE POPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

VELOCIPEDEHWHEEL..

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,885, dated May 15, 1888.

' Application filed September 16, i857. Serial No. 249,953. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FMMIT G. LATTA, of Friendship, in the county of Allegany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Velocipede-Vheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in velocipedewheels, and has for its object to construct a light and rigid wheel which can be produced at comparatively smallexpense, and in which the spokes are secured to a light hub-flange without bending the spokes or forming screw-threads on the inner ends thereof, whiehtend to reduce the strength of the wheel.

The invention has the further object to reA duce the weight of the tire and increase its efficiency.

The invention consists of the improvements in the construction of the wheel, which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my improved wheel, showing two of the spoke-couplers in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in line a fr, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary Vertical section of the rim and tire. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections in lines a: .fr and g/ y, Fig., 3, respectively. Fig.

6 is a vertical section of the hub-dange in line.

y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the spoke'couplers. Figs. 8 andi) are vertical sections of modied forms of the hub iiange. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary inside view of the hnb-iiange, showing the manner of attaching the spokes to the couplers. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section of the hubiiange, showing the position of the coupler for in serting the spoke. Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the position of the coupler when the spoke is in its proper position. Fig. 13 is a side elevation ofthe wheel. Fig. 14 is a vertical section of a modified form of the hubiiange.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the axle, B one of the hub ilanges secured thereto, C the tangential spokes, and D the rim. The outer ends of the spokes are secured to the rim by serewnip ples, or in any other suitable manner. The inner ends of the spokes are secured to the hub-flange by straight couplers E, which are seated in openingsf, formed in the outer portion of the hub-iiange parallel with the axle A. Each coupler E supports two spokes and is provided with two diametrical openings, e c', arranged on opposite sides of the hub- {iange and receiving the headed ends cf the spokes. The openings c c are countersunk at one end, so as to receive the heads of the spokes, and are arranged at a slight angle to each other to .permit the spokes to pass outwardly without striking the next adjacent coupler. The spokes on the inner side of the flange pass outwardly from the couplers at an angle to the spokes on the outer side of the flange in an opposite direction therefrom. The distance between the two openings e e of each coupler is equal to the thickness of the hubiiange, so that the two spokes rest against opposite sides of the hub-flange and prevent the coupler from slipping in the openingf.

The marginal portiong of thehuban'ge, in which the openings f for the reception of the couplers are formed, is curved or corrugated concentric with the axle, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to increase the width of the bearingsurface of each coupler in its opening f and to forni an annular groove or depression, g,within the annular row of couplers, which permits the insertion of the spokes into the couplers. The spoke arranged on the onterside of the hub-flange is iirst inserted into the outer opening, e, of the coupler E, and the coupler is then placed into the opening f and turned in the latter, so that the countersunk end of the inner opening, e', stands opposite the depression g' and opens into the same, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The spoke on the inner side of the hub-flange is next inserted into theinner opening, e', of the coupler and drawn into its seat, the groove g permitting this'insertion of the spoke. The coupler is then turned so as to bring the spoke into its proper position. In

this position of the coupler a portion of the head of the spoke projects into the opening f, as shown in Figs. 2 and 12, and bears against the adjacent portion of the hubilange, thereby securely holding the head in its seat.

By corrugating or curving the hub-iiange, as

IOO

above described, the flange can be made thin and light,whieh enables the two sets of spokes to be placed more nearly in the same plane than by employing a flat and thick flange of the same strength.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 8 the hub-flange is bent or curved outwardly farther than in the construction shown in Fig. 6, so as to form an annular depression, h, on the outer side of the flange. The openingf is formed in this bent portion of the ange. In this case the coupler, with the inner spoke attached thereto, is inserted into the opening f from the inner side of the hubllange. The outer spoke is drawn through the outer opening in the coupler by turning the latter so that its outer opening stands in line with the de pression h. The coupler is then turned, as before described, whereby the spoke head is rmly held in its scat in the coupler.

In the modilied construction shown in Fig. 9 the outer edge of the hub-tlange is bent or curved externally still farther than in Fig. 8, which enables both spokes to be inserted into the coupler from the outer side of the hubllange, the opening inthe hub-flange permit-y ting the inner spoke to be drawn into its seat in the coupler through said opening.

Itis obvious thatthe hub-flange may be made flat where the couplers are seated in the same, as shown in Fig. l-i, in which case the heads of the spokes resting against the outer side of the flange are iattened. The spoke with the [iattened head is inserted into the outer opening of the coupler after the inner spoke has been inserted through the inner opening and the coupler has been inserted in the opening of the flange.

Myimproved wheel is a true tangent wheel, the spokes passing forwardly from one coupler forming a straight line with the spoke passing backwardly from the next adjacent coupler, said line being at right angles to a radial line passing through the center of the wheel and midway between the two couplers, as clearly shown iu Figs. l and 13.

I represents the rubber tire, which is seated in the rim D and provided on its inner sur-v face with a series of longitudinal depressions or recesses, t', which are separated by intermediate solid portions, i, as shown in Fig. 3. These recesses render the tire lighter and more elastic than a solid tire of the same size. The

solid portions liimpart a varying elasticity to the tire, which is so slight as to be imperceptible to the rider, butyet sufficient to allow the tire to iiatten more between the solid portions than directly upon the latter, whereby the tire is prevented from slipping upon the ground.

The solid portions also prevent the recessesl 6o They are preferably enlarged in width toward thetread of the tire, as shown in Fig. 5, to better enable the cement to hold the tire in place and prevent the cement from lilling the openings. This construction of the tire eii'ects a saving of rubber which more than compen- 7o sates for the extra expense of manufacture.

I am aware that tangential spokes have been secured lto a plain hub-dange by screwing them into a series of pins projecting from opposite sides of the hub-flange; also, that the spokes have been secured each to a stud countersunk into the hub-flange and each supporting one spoke. I am also aware that a rubber tire having longitudinal grooves arranged side by side on its inner surface is not new, and I do 8o not claim either of these constructions.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the hub-flange and two spokes headed at their inner ends, of a straight cylindrical coupler seated in an opening in the hub-flange and provided on opposite sides of the hub-flange with countersunk openings in which the headed ends of 4the spokes are seated, the spokes resting against the liangeand the inner side of the spoke-head 9o resting inside the liange, substantially as set forth. v

2. The combination, with the spokes and the hub-{iange bentor corrugated nearits outer edge, of couplers seated in said corrugated por- 9 5 tion of the hub-flange and supporting the inner ends of the spokes, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the wheel-rim, of

a flexible tire provided on its inner surface Ioo with a peripheral series of depressions or reccsses separated in the longitudinal direction of the tire by inwardly-projecting transverse solid portions, whereby the tire is composed of alternate portions having the full crosssection of the tire and grooved portions of greater flexibility, substantially as set forth.

EMMIT G. LATTA.

Vitnesses:

S. G. LATTA, FRED H. Riou. 

